IAMNOTDEFECTIVE wrote:No reason other then I like Portal and the defective turrets, and this has been my "goto" name if I plan on using an account longer then me being in the MLP fandom that I am currently in...

I read that article. Interesting that the Feds would have a backdoor (privacy is for me, not thee), though the article cautions at the end that "unfortunately this mode does not protect against exploitation of errors at earlier stages."

That's actually a very shrewd point. As long as "security" is a premium commodity, it is easily monitored and subverted—look at the history of Crypto AG. Better to remain completely obscure, or blend in with the masses.This also applies to things like the "Do Not Track" HTTP header.Deru kui wa utareru.

ClassicHasClass wrote:Well, the Talos II should make it to Q4 orders in March is what they're saying. Boards are already in mass production. Looking forward to mine.

Just make sure the package isn't intercepted by the tailored operations unit.

Oh, I'm quite sure that I'm on some NSA watch list just for having ordered the thing. I'm actually thinking about doing the audit on it when it arrives, not just to show I can, but also for the remote but non-zero possibility NSA-TAO wants a toehold in Floodgap Orbiting HQ.

alexott wrote:Talos is absolutely a no go with such high price. For that amount of money I can build a Xeon monster

Go for it. Just don't complain in 10 years when your only choice is Intel no matter how much you pay.

That's a depressing and bleak dystopian future.

I don't think it's inaccurate, though. Currently only Power ISA and maybe high-end SPARC64 are in the performance ballpark with x86_64, and designing those systems isn't cheap. If people are only willing to pony up for stuff that costs in the same range as Xeons, for which Intel clearly has the economy of scale, then they'll get cheap-o MIPSEL and aarch64 systems and those aren't even close.

Powerful systems with non-x86 processors cost bucks because currently they're boutique and low-volume. There's no business case otherwise right now, and there won't be a business case at all if that attitude persists.

I'm not picking on you, Alex, but I think if price is the only benchmark we're going to be putting all our eggs in one x86 basket when it comes to high-performance systems. What happens when the next critical CPU flaw is found and there aren't any alternatives? I get it that folks are on a budget; just don't crap on those of us who actually have the choice and prioritize architectural diversity over cost.